Learning on the run: Tar Heels go into first course of season vs. Gamecocks

Bob Sutton / Times-News

Thursday

Aug 29, 2013 at 12:01 AMAug 29, 2013 at 12:39 AM

There’s no time for a learning curve for North Carolina’s football team when the Tar Heels take on sixth-ranked South Carolina in tonight’s season opener.

Coach Larry Fedora figures there will be plenty to be gained and lots to be learned from this encounter.

“You’ve got to be ready right now,” Fedora said. “After that first one you’re going to have a much better feel of what kind of team we’re going to be and where improvement needs to be made.”

Tar Heels players said the sense of urgency regarding the season was in place when the schedule came out. One of the toughest games for the Tar Heels is going to be their first one.

“That’s part of the excitement and the players sense that,” Fedora said. “It is extra motivation in the winter conditioning, spring ball, and summer workouts. That’s just extra incentive to push a little harder.”

This is also what the Tar Heels covet. It’s a chance to play a team with national respect in a nationally televised opener.

“Everyone came here to play on that stage,” North Carolina defensive end Kareem Martin said.

North Carolina is sharing the stage — or at least the Tar Heels hope to have part of the attention — with South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney.

During a recent interview session, more reporters were huddled around offensive tackle James Hurst, who figures to be lined up against Clowney, than Bryn Renner, who’s North Carolina’s quarterback.

“Clowney, Clowney, Clowney,” Renner said for the reason.

The Tar Heels plan to unleash a receiving unit that’s deep, hoping that a fast pace and variety of passing packages can offset Clowney’s influence on the game.

“You can’t change the whole offense based on one player,” North Carolina offensive coordinator Blake Anderson said. “You didn’t shut Michael Jordan down when he played. He’s going to score some points. (Clowney) is going to make some plays.

“You’ve got to respect a great opponent and a great player and we do. There’s only so many answers you’ve got on a football field without compensating what you do.”

Fedora said this is the most game-planning he can recall being done to address a specific player on an opposing team.

“When you have that kind of speed, it’s always problematic,” he said, though he pointed out that South Carolina’s Kelcy Quarles and Chaz Sutton are areas of concern for North Carolina’s blockers as well.

Fedora, who’s embarking on his second season, said the Tar Heels have shown signs of growth in the past year. Now they’ll try to reap the most from that.

“The only way to gain confidence is to have success,” he said. “You can talk about having it all you want but until you actually do it, you never know. I do think our guys feel better about where they are than they were at the end of last year.”

North Carolina at No. 6 South Carolina

When: 6 tonight (ESPN)

Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, S.C.

Series: North Carolina leads 34-17-4. This will be the first meeting in Columbia since 1990.

Extra points …

The teams last met in an opener in 1988, with South Carolina winning at home in North Carolina coach Mack Brown’s debut. …

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is 4-0 against the Tar Heels, with three of the victories coming with Duke. … North Carolina coach Larry Fedora went to Columbia for a 2010 season opener with Southern Mississippi, and his team suffered a 41-13 setback. He was a Florida assistant coach in a 2003 victory in Columbia. … North Carolina hasn’t posted a season-opening victory against a Football Bowl Subdivision team since defeating Tulsa in 2000. … The Tar Heels are aiming for their first victory against a Top 10 team since topping Miami in 2004. … North Carolina quarterback Bryn Renner hasn’t thrown an interception in his last 91 attempts. … The schools will meet Sept. 5, 2015, at Bank of American Stadium in Charlotte.

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